A Place In Heaven
by Lemara
Summary: A Haradrim princess survives a shipwreck and finds herself alone for the first time in her life on foreign shores.
1. Chapter 1

A Place In Heaven

It was a day much like this that I found myself on a grand ship. One only reserved for people of the utmost importance to my father. After what seems like years and in fact only days I can still see my father's face clearly as he stood on the royal dock waving to me. His features and posture so sure, he reeked of confidence only a man as great as him can portray and yet his eyes betrayed him. No one knew. Had I not had a close interest in people's eyes I would not have noticed either.

I was my father's only child. Was? The world I left behind seems so far away and I will try my best to keep away from it. It is as if God has purposefully set my life upon this course, this surely was meant to be. I woke up this morning to find myself on a foreign shore; I assume it is foreign as there is none of the usual fisherman around. I take a moment as I realized that this moment will never come again and therefore I felt the need to enjoy my freedom.

A few moments later my eyes was closed and I was enjoying a small dance when I got the feeling that I was being watched. I opened my eyes. I was so sure then that I was on a foreign shore as I saw the fairest looking man I had ever laid eyes on. Everyone back home was darker than this and the lightest people could not match his color by far. He was staring at me with open curiosity and I understood, as I was hardly dressed appropriately. I had had barely time to jump off the ship let alone get dressed properly.

"What are you doing here?" the man in front of me asked in what I could only describe as hostile. I had extensive knowledge of their tongue. My father had insisted on teaching me this language after the war saying that we should always understand the language of our enemy. Of course he did not give me a choice and as always he decided things and nobody could refuse his requests. Requests? Ha! They were hardly requests, if you did not do as you were told then you would mysteriously wind up dead a few days later.

"As you can see not much, there was an accident and my ship caught on fire so I swam to this shore"

"Well get on then, it will get dark soon"

I hoped on to his horse and off we went. We rode for a long while and the tiredness of the night's events were speedily catching up to me. I was feeling extremely sick and drowsy when the man finally announced we were here. It still looked like the middle of nowhere but it was well into the night and I could not see well. And as I was squinting I saw it. Finally! Somewhere to sleep. The buildings looked rather civilized which meant there was somewhere for me to rest and wash and food. Instantly I was reminded of my hunger.

I was escorted to the king's private study and was told to curtsey as soon as I was in his presence. I received a surprising amount of rather unpleasant comments as I passed guards, servants and even the common people. Clearly these people held grudges against us but then I expect they would get the same treatment if they were in my position and were back home

The king was a rather young man but seemed very wise for his age. I am Aragorn he said and went on to tell me that I was in Minas Tirith. These names meant absolutely nothing to me, as I hated history when I was taught it at school and only passed because I was the king's daughter. He asked a series of questions about where I was from, my name, my age, and such things then called for a servant to take me away.

I lie on a bed so soft and feel my troubles ease away as I slip into a dreamless and peaceful sleep. Sleep with no thoughts, no worries. Nothing. I wake up to soft singing. I cannot make out the words since it required concentration. I get out of bed and walk to the window overlooking the massive palace gardens. As I look down I realize it was the elf from yesterday. I was enraptured with his voice. Not because it was so beautiful but because it was different. The masculine sweetness in it was foreign to my ears. I stood there and watched, the flowers and listened to his voice. I was surprised as I felt a pang of homesickness. I always thought when I left, which at the time seemed an unrealistic dream it would be for good and I would have no regrets. After all, the one thing I did have was destroyed before my eyes. Was it my fault? How many times had a pondered that? How many times had questions rolled around my head? Endlessly I wished for a way out, out of my own thoughts and yet whenever there was a way out I rejected it because…I do not know why.

Before I had time to go down the road that my brain traveled at least once a day, I had three servants appear out of nowhere; I just turned around and saw them. I believe they were waiting for me to wake up from my daydream. The clothes, which they brought, were not to my liking as they were large dresses, which were extremely difficult to wear, and I did not feel the colors complemented my skin tone. I asked for trousers but they just gasped as though I had just transformed into a hideous creature so I thought better of it. It was a maroon color and the kind that clung to the figure only to come out into a big puff as it hit the waist. Definitely a style I hated but it was either that or going naked I guess. I opted for the former. I looked into the mirror and I realized that however hard I might try I was not going to blend in with the crowd in this place. Virtually every woman I saw was extremely fair. And the majority were blond and slim especially the elves. I was so different, my skin tone is dark, my features very different and my hair is very curly and it seemed to have gotten even frizzier and bigger without my natural oils and treatments. It seemed to stick out even more especially with all of these elves and their sleek and straight hair.

I walked out with them and they escorted me to a rather large hall where I was told that I would see the king and he would decide my fate. I walked in and curtseyed as told. I was told to rise. The king sat in a high throne and next to it sat his wife. There was a long line of chairs where the elders of the region sat. It seemed almost like a trial. However the most striking face to me was the queen. I still remember how her face shone, light was coming of it and she was so beautiful. She looked like a goddess. She had a look in her eyes and I remembered that look. I saw it countless times being reflected right back at me from my mirror at home. It was the look of pure and reckless happiness.

The king began by introducing me to his audience.

"This is Sahar, a princess by birth and the only heiress to the kingdom of Harad. Her ship drowned and by a strange twist of fate she has ended up on our very shores where she was found last night by Legolas. What should we do?"

They all sat there in deep thought and I felt increasingly awkward so I stepped forward.

"May I speak your highness?"

"Of course," he kindly replied

I looked around at each person, I had made many public speeches before my retreat therefore I had experience. "I appreciate very much the food, clothes and shelter which you and your king have provided me with, however I feel that my stay is long expired and I beg request of you to let me leave this country. I shall not trouble you anymore and the minute I exit your gates I promise that for as long as I live you shall never set eyes upon me again if you so wish."

The elf, supposedly called Legolas slipped in through a back door and leaned on the throne. He had a casual and relaxed attitude and I assumed there must be some sort of close friendship between the king and the elf.

"Nonsense child!" the king said "whatever grudges any of us may have against your people we shall not take it out on a helpless woman, though I must admit your courage is admirable. However I insist that you stay in our care at least until you are strong enough in knowledge and skill to survive on your own in our wilderness."

"Sire, I thank you a great deal however I have one request and I would owe my life to you if you were to grant it, may I ask?"

"Of course, anything within my powers,"

"I, under no circumstance, wish to return home,"

"Granted, and of course we shall have a celebration to welcome our new guest. In the meantime I shall set someone to protect because I am sure some people might not be so open to your presence here, you are familiar with Legolas no?"

"Yes my lord, I believe we met yesterday,"

"Indeed you did and he shall have the charge of protecting you from harms way,"

"I thank you my Lords, king Aragorn and his queen, may I be excused?"

"Of course child,"

I looked at Legolas and he seemed somewhat less than pleased to be given this charge, I must say that I did not blame him. He walked in front of me, and I followed him, he took me to the palace gardens. It was so different here. Everything. The way they walked, the way they talked, and even the way their buildings looked. I walked further into the garden towards the flowers; they were beautiful. I have always loved the scent of flowers, they reminded me of my mother. Her scent, she always smelt of flowers. Sometimes I wonder how my life would have turned out had she survived. What would my father be like? Her memory is too harsh on me, before I know it a tear escapes from my eye. And then another and another. I turn around; I do not want him to see me crying. Crying is weakness. I cry little and did not cry the night I lost everything. Instead I surrounded myself with a shield, which I believe protects me and continually makes me stronger.

…

This is to everyone who has read this story. Please review because I would love to hear all of your comments and suggestions whether negative or positive. If there are any grammar or spelling mistakes please feel free to inform me.

Hope you enjoy! Love Lelo.


	2. Chapter 2

A Place in Heaven

Chapter two

A Haradrim of all people in this palace, but that is not even the worst of it! Aragorn is so welcoming, why? I know why, he is so kind to her only because of the expected child, his happiness is affecting his judgment. To make matters even worse I must become her shadow. I blankly refused when he first announced it. Oh but he is clever and cunning. He chose to announce it to the whole court so that I cannot refuse the so-called honor. Honor what honor? Well I shall make it as difficult for her as it is for me. I walked in front of her in long strides, and it required some effort of her to catch up to me. I took her to the palace gardens and soon she did not pay attention to me but flowers. It seemed they had an effect on her. She started to cry, she thought I could not see but I sensed her pain, and saw her tears. A deep pain but she immediately quietened it. Curious, though I was not curious enough to ask. As far as I was concerned she was nothing to me. I did not trust nor respect her in the least bit.

Control yourself. Head up, confidence shining through and a big smile plastered itself on my face. I have done this a thousand times; maybe that is the one thing that my father benefited me in. I took one last look at the flowers and followed Legolas. He stopped at a separate building, went in and came out with a bow and arrow. I had no knowledge of how to handle any weapons as I was a woman and women did not fight in Harad. It was not considered the thing. He spoke to me but never gave me the dignity of looking into my eyes and addressing me. I had seen this done a thousand times and more by many different people. I cannot say I blamed him very much because I was a Haradrim and the daughter of their king no less.

"If you are ever going to survive on your own then you must have some knowledge in how to defend yourself because I expect you will get attacked. Watch, listen and don't interrupt" he said in one long breath. I was somewhat less than impressed with his continually condescending tone. He spoke to servants better. Did he not understand that I was a princess, a Haradrim princess, but a princess nonetheless?

He threw a sword in my direction and asked if I knew how to use it. I shook my head indicating my ignorance. He sighed then, a long sigh as though he expected this to be a very difficult job. I was determined to prove him wrong. His back was to me and all of a sudden, in one quick motion I found the tip of the sword just below my left breast and just above my heart. He demonstrated his point and I received the message loud and clear.

I taught her for about a half a day with no rests. She seemed exhausted whilst I was feeling as though I had just returned from a brisk walk. She has determination, that much must be said for her and her pride is beyond measure though that is not understandable for such people as the Haradrim. With one quick blow of my left hand I swipe the sword from her hand and catch it with my right hand. She understands that this signals the end of the session and walks away from me.

I felt I learned a lot from him and I was determined to practice more because no body treats me like a servant. I walked off in the opposite direction, determined to find my room on my own. That proved to be a rather hard task and I only found the room after I ran into one of the elders that were present earlier that day and was kind enough to point me in the right direction. Although I had left Legolas some time ago, it was as if I could sense his eyes upon me as I walked down the corridors.

Finally I managed to find my room. I was tired, hot and hungry, but I should stop wallowing in self-pity and start getting used to this kind of life. I must no longer see myself as a princess because I left that life behind. Instead I should look at myself through Legolas's eyes, because I realize that is how everyone will be viewing me. My slate is wiped clean as though I have no memory.

The following two weeks took the same pattern as the first day and I was almost forgetting my sorrow until the day when queen Arwen informs me of an upcoming banquet held, apparently, in my honor. She was asking what I would like to wear and if I wanted she could have her tailor work with me to produce something more suitable and to my liking. I take her up on that offer and go to meet the tailor. He asks me to draw him a sketch to give an idea of the design I was hoping for. I do that and immediately I see the pained look on his face. Theirs were elegant long dresses with the simplest of designs, which in our eyes are reserved for maids that choose the virgin robes. The tailor called it monstrous and devil wear to his servants in a variation of the tongue, which he did not realize I understood.

After the business with the tailor I feel the need for another training session so that I might release some of the anger I behold. I seek Legolas where he waits out for me in the hallway and he informs me that today we shall further our training with the sword and so we begin. He tells me that swordplay is much like dancing. You must be graceful but strong, elegant but willful, gentle but wary. I take it all in. he tells me that my biggest enemy in a battle is not the one I am fighting rather it is fear of the one I am fighting. Fear cripples, it is a sickness, do not let it in your heart or you will surely perish and so infect others surrounding you. I cannot help but I admire him. His skill with the sword is fascinating and that is not considered his specialty. I heard from the girls the bow and arrow is his favorite weapon.

It is the end of yet another exhausting day and so I retire to my chambers once more but I am not as tired as the previous day. With some strength in me left I bath, brush the soft curls of my hair and select a soft lilac garment of silk that clings to my figure and highlights my curves like all of these western dresses. I walk out into the courtyard with the white tree standing so proud in the middle of it. What does it symbolize I wonder. Maybe life? I realize that the city is almost part of a mountain or a hill of some sort so I walk to the edge and I can see the lower circles of the city beneath me. I look above at the beautiful night sky. Memories, so many memories. The stars remind me of so much, oh so much. So many nights spent besides that living laughing face. Where are you? I whisper to the wind. Why have you left me so in this cruel world? The sky here is bleak in comparison to that of Harad. I start to sing of home, softly first but I soon grow louder. I sing of the desert and the oasis within. I sing of our places and rivers, but mostly I sing of Ashtar, our beloved Goddess watching over us.

I followed her today out by the white tree. She did not see me, as I was careful. I was convinced she would commit some crime and so was determined to follow her. When she first started singing I thought she was performing a chant of some sort. Witchcraft of the Haradrim but it was just a song. Her song was, though I say it begrudgingly, beautiful. Her voice was exquisite and even her appearance seemed delightfully exciting in an unfamiliar kind of way. I caught a sense of that same pain, so much pain and in one so young seemed unnatural. Suddenly she turns around and sees me. Her face is glistening with tears and she adopts a look of utter misery, despair mixed in with so much fury that her soft features were immediately sharpened.

The elf was watching me make a fool of myself. He was spying on me in my vulnerability. I was so humiliated and angry. All of a sudden the pain and fury that had been trapped within me for the past year or so came bubbling to the surface and exploded in Legolas's face.

"How dare you presume to follow and spy on me at night?" I asked red faced and panting with anger, "Have you no manners, no decency?"

"well well well, look who is talking about decency and manners! You are less than a commoners girl here in the west, you may have been a princess in your fathers so called palace or shall I say hut as befits that sheepherder you call a king but here you are not so don't presume to act like one" he was so arrogant so mocking and adopted a tone of such malicious superiority that my rage was tripled and inflamed to three times the original size and so I lunged forward attacking him. He whirred around and stopped me in an instant holding both my arms behind me in his left hand and putting his right arm around my throat.

"Let me go this instant" I was shocked and disappointed at my own childish act of desperation that I withdrew and recoiled into myself, my face a mask of pain, whilst he twisted my arm harder. I knew what this was; after all I was not a stranger to men and their pride. I find it curious how I always find myself in such positions, once with a sword, another with a knife and last of all with a noose until this little moment here.

I had her in such a position that one hard pull on her neck and she would surely die. I have killed with my bare hands before and I could just as easily do it to a woman who was of her smaller size. I twist her arm. I am sure that it causes her great pain and yet she does not cry out. Her breathing rate stays the same. I twist harder until I can almost feel the bone shifting and still she does not cry out. I release her. She instantly gathers whatever dignity she has left, looks me in the eye. She has honey colored eyes. And she says:

"I wonder what these besotted girls see in you? You are vile and cruel. What's more you are a pathetic wretched creature who exercises power over helpless women."

I release her then. Was it her words? Was it the painful yearning in her heart she so tried to hide from me? Was it the eyes? Who know? I certainly do not. I take a step back and suddenly feel drowned in an ocean of shame. It was not I Legolas that treat women in such ways as befits barbarians and savages. She walks past me heading to the palace and I know that I must apologize. I catch up to her in two strides and take hold of her arm. Her scent is so refreshing it takes my breath away for a second. She struggles but I hold her still.

"I feel the need to apologize I did not mean to hurt you"

She immediately replies never missing a heartbeat. "That is a lie, if you did not mean to do it then why did you?" in a softer and more subdued tone she adds "Besides I care not, I have been through worse, now if you truly mean your apology let me go in peace and we shall no more speak of this"

"Not until you forgive me" she really knew how to make a man feel even more guilt ridden.

"My forgiveness means nothing to you, perhaps only to clear that conscience of yours despite the fact that you regard me as worthy of less than an animal. Well I shall not grant you my forgiveness but I tell you this you do not need to feel guilty. I feel no pain and whatever I shall see in my life to come will mean nothing. Do you hear me nothing! I am not afraid and would go this very night if it were not for your king."

I stood there baffled. Her sudden burst of emotion left me speechless. She yanked her arm from my hands and stalked off to her bedchambers. I found myself thinking more about her and pondering her words. True she only had eighteen years of age but somehow seemed to have suffered more than her short life allowed it. I slept that night and dreamt of her. None of my usual vivid dreams rather the shore where I first stumbled upon her, she was surrounded by a blue heavenly light, which seemed to emanate from within her heart and flood the rest of her being. She stood and mouthed help me before shattering, like glass into a million tiny fragments of blue light. I woke suddenly and drenched in sweat. I gather my thoughts and sigh. One more to add to my collection of dreams.


End file.
